The Nature of Words

There are presently no open calls for submissions.

Thank you for submitting your work to The Nature of Words Rising Star Creative Writing Competition! Our goal is to honor young and emerging writers of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry in the Pacific Northwest. Please observe the following contest guidelines:

• The competition is open to writers in Oregon, Washington and Idaho in three age categories: 15-18, 19-25, and 26+.

• Genres include Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry.

• Submitting writers who have won in the past two years may not submit to their winning category for this year's competition.

• Submitting writers may not have published a first book or chapbook, but may have had individual stories, essays or poems in print.

• Poets may submit two unpublished poems (no more than four single-spaced pages, total); fiction and creative nonfiction writers may submit one unpublished, double-spaced piece no longer than 3,000 words. For our purposes, “publication” includes appearance on any Internet source except a blog.

• Please use one-inch margins, Times Roman Typeface, and a 12-point type. Submissions must be in Microsoft Word® format. Entries will not be returned.

• Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, email address, genre of submission, age category, and word count on the cover sheet with your submission. Author identification information should NOT appear on any pages of the manuscript itself.

• Please also provide a short bio in your cover letter that includes information about yourself and your interest in writing. Winners, when notified, must submit a photo (headshot preferred) for use in Rising Star marketing materials and The Nature of Words' annual anthology of student writing.

• Entries must be received no later than 12 midnight on the submission deadline of June 1, 2014. Entries dated after this date will not be read.